Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of IC (Integrated Circuit) packages 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 are stored within a first IC (Integrated Circuit) package storage tube 50. During manufacture and shipping of IC packages, a predetermined number of IC packages may need to be transferred from the first IC package storage tube 50 to a second IC (Integrated Circuit) package storage tube 52. Referring to FIG. 1, in the prior art, an operator aligns the open end of the first IC package storage tube 50 to the open end of the second IC package storage tube 52. The first IC package storage tube 50 and the second IC package storage tube 52 are disposed at an inclination such that the plurality of IC packages from the first IC package storage tube 50 slides into the second IC package storage tube 52.
However, such manual transfer of IC packages from the first IC package storage tube 50 into the second IC package storage tube 52 may result in bent leads on the IC packages when the first IC package storage tube 50 is not aligned properly with the second IC package storage tube 52. In addition, with such manual transfer of IC packages, the IC packages may not be transferred from the first IC package storage tube 50 into the second IC package storage tube 52 with proper orientation as desired by the customers of the IC packages. Furthermore, during such manual transfer of IC packages, the operator keeps count of the number of IC packages transferred from the first IC package storage tube 50 into the second IC package storage tube 52. Such counting by the operator may be inaccurate resulting in either an insufficient or an excess number of IC packages being shipped to the customer.
Thus, a mechanism is desired for accurately transferring a predetermined number of IC packages from the first IC package storage tube 50 into the second IC package storage tube 52 with minimized bent leads on the IC packages and with proper orientation of the IC packages.